GoKawiilMullenweg Says He's Regained Control of Automattic Days After Board Ouster
Less than two days after Automattic's board placed Matt Mullenweg on leave, he told staff on Slack that he was back in charge and that the board was again aligned with him. CFO Mark Davies, who had been named interim CEO, reportedly had his Slack account deactivated, while Mullenweg posted cryptic references including a LL Cool J video and a personal blog post about buying a tugboat that avoided addressing the leadership turmoil directly.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The rapid reversal highlights ongoing instability at the top of Automattic, a company already strained by years of legal disputes, layoffs and staff departures under Mullenweg's leadership. Public confusion over who actually controls the company raises governance concerns for employees, partners and the broader WordPress ecosystem that depends on Automattic's stability.
- Mullenweg claims he's back in control of Automattic just 48 hours after being placed on leave by the board.
- Interim CEO candidate Mark Davies appears to have been removed from internal communications.
- The abrupt reversal adds to a pattern of turmoil and unclear governance at Automattic in recent years.
LL Cool J "Mama Said Knock You Out" CD — Mullenweg's "Don't call it a comeback" Slack post makes this 1990 hip-hop classic the unofficial soundtrack of the Automattic drama. Grab the album and hear the title track that launched a thousand comeback captions, plus the rest of LL Cool J's hardest-hitting record.
See LL Cool J "Mama Said Knock You Out" CD on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: slashdot.org, 2026-09-12
Published there as: “Automattic's Matt Mullenweg Claims He's Back 'In Control'”
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